Plate for roller-skate wheels and the like



E K I L m T D N. A m m m M y m L R R O F E m M P May U Filed c. 16. 1948Patented May 30, 1950 PLATE Foa ROLLER-SKATE WHEELS AND THE LIKE JamesE. Marshall, New Haven, Conn., assignor to New Haven, Conn., a cor-(llin Industries, Inc., poration of Delaware Application December 16,i948, Serial No. 65,597

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in plates for roller-skatewheels and the like and relates more particularly to plates of thecharacter referred to which are formed of sheet metal and which,therefore, may be readily electroplated with nickel, copper, chromium,or other desired finishing metals.

It may first be explained that the usual procedure for producingsheet-metal plates of the character referred to is to first stamp themfrom sheet metal, which process occasions an appreciable amount of burrswhich must be removed. Subsequently to being formed, the said plates ordisks are usually placed in a tumbling-barrel together with a charge ofsuitable deburring materials such, for instance, as steel balls toremove the burrs referred to and to polish the plates.

. The thoroughly deburred and polished plates are usually electroplatedby being tumbled in a plating solution of the desired metal whilesubjected to a current-flow, and following the plating it is customaryto dry and polish the now-plated plates by again tumbling them insubstantiallydry sawdust or the like.

All of the operations above referred to cause many of the identicalplates to nest together and thus fail to respond to the varioustreatments, since the back of one plate and the front of another platewould be thus shielded. This nesting has resulted in a large number ofrejects and hence has raised the cost of production.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide sheet-metalplates of the character referred to which, though identical in size andshape, will not nest together to cause rejects as described, exceptunder the most unusual circumstances.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to thoseskilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includesall features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out thepresent invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a plate embodying the present inventionand looking toward the .outer face thereof;

. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but looking toward the inner faceof the plate;

1 Fig. 3 is a diametrical sectional View thereof taken on the line 3--3of Fig. l

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing two of the plates inengagement with each other;

Fig. 5 is a broken view of a roller-skate wheel shown partly in edgeelevation and partly in transverse section and also showing a plateembodying the present invention associated therewith; and

Fig. 6 is a face view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating another form ofthe present invention.

Showing of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive The plate illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5inclusive is of dished or concavo-convex form and is for purposes ofdescription generally designated by the reference character ID. The saidplate may be conveniently struck up from sheet steel, brass, aluminum orthe like, and has the central portion of its outer face shaped toprovide a hub-recess I I in turn having a, central opening I 2 extendingtherethrough from face to face.

Adjacent its outer periphery the plate II] is struck up to provide three(more or less) arcuate ribs or embossments respectively designated bythe reference characters I3, I4 and I5 and projecting from its outer orconvex face. The formation of the ribs or embossments I3, I14 and I5results in each instance in creating in the back or concave face asimilar number of arcuate recesses each designated by the referencecharacter I6.

Intervening between the arcuate ribs I4 and I5 is a gap or plain area II and in turn intervening between the rib I5 and the rib I3 is a gap orplain area I8. The arcuate ribs I3 and I4 are in turn spaced from eachother in a circumferential direction by a gap or plain area I9.

Each of the arcuate ribs or embossments I3, I4 and I5 above describedmay respectively have different circumferential extents as may also thegaps l'l, I8 and I9, such, for instance, as in- Example 1 Example 2Example 3 Degrees Degrees Degrees The results of the present inventionmay also be achieved by having the respective lengths of the ribs I3, I4and I substantially identical and the respective gaps I'I, I8 and I9differed in their respective lengths in a circumferential direction, asis indicated in Example 2 in the foregoing table.

The basic non-nesting advantages of the present invention may also beachieved by varying the respective lengths in a circumferentialdirection of thearcuate ribs I3, I4 and I5 or their equivalent, and atthe same time maintaining the gaps II, I8 and I9 of substantiallyidentical circumferential extents as is indicated under the Example 3 inthe foregoing table.

As explained in the preamble hereto, a large number of plates of thecharacter illustrated are customarily tumbled simultaneously in atumbling-barrel together with a suitable material such as steel ballsfor effecting the removal of burrs and producing the desired degree ofcleaning or polishing. During this tumbling process and with plates ofordinary construction the said plates are apt to tightly nest togetherwith the result that only one face of each of two nested plates willreceive the necessary treatment. The same nesting defects of ordinaryplates also tend to nest-during the plating operation-'and'during-thesubsequent drying operation.

By means of the arcuate ribs I3, I4 and I5 and the gaps IT, I8 and I9having difierential extents in the manner generally indicated .in theExamples 1, to 3 above, it is not possible for the two plates of thetype illustrated to tightly nest together since the ribs and gaps of onegiven plate will not fit'or mate with the similar features of anidentical plate except when they are identically oriented. Thisidentical orientation is most unlikely since the matter of one or twodegrees difierence in orientation would serve to effectively hold thetwo such disks or plates apart. Thus the chances of any two plates ofidentical form nesting together are so remote as to be negligible from amanufacturing standpoint.

In Fig. 5 one of the plates I0 is illustrated as assembled with aroller-skate Wheel which is generally designated by the referencecharacter and which in itself requires no detailed description hereinother than possibly to note that the said wheel is adapted to receive anaxle 2I which extends through a plate like I0 indicated in the said Fig.5.

The showing of Fig; 6

In Fig. 6 is shown a plate or disk generally designated by the referencecharacter 22 and corresponding to the plate Ill before described savethat instead of being provided with three embossments and a similarnumber of 'gaps,'the plate 22 i struck up to provide four arcuate ribsor embossments -23, 25, 25 and '26 and four gaps respectively designatedby the reference char- 'acters 21, 28, 29 and 30. V

In'Fig. 6 the extent in the circumferential db rection of the gaps 2'1,28, 29 and 30 are respectively indicated by the angles A, B, C and Dwhile the similar extents of the arcuate'ribs or embossments arerespectively designated by the angles E, F,'G and H.

To secure the advantageous results of the present invention, the extentof the embossments '23, 24, 2-5 and 26 may be substantially identicalWhile'the gaps A,B,'C and D maybe progressively increased in length allas indicated in Example 4 of the following table:

Example 4 Example 5 Example 6 Degrees Degrees Degrees Instead of varyingthe extent of the gaps 21 to '31! inclusive and maintaining constant theextent of the embossments 23, 24, 25 and 26 as in Example 4, all of thesaid gaps may be made substantially identical while the said embossmentsmay :be'zcaused to differ from each other in length all as indicatedunder the heading Example 5;

Rsum

In all of. the forms of the invention herein set forth, any two or moreidentical plates cannot nest together tightly save in the exceptionalevent that they .are precisely similarly oriented with respect to eachother. This hazard is so remote, as has been found by .practice, as not12 be an. appreciable factor in manufacturing cost.

Furthermore, it will be noted that by means .of the. present inventionthe visual symmetry of the pattern ofalternating em'bo'ssments andg apsissnbsltanti'ally unaffected, since the slight variations required incarrying out the. present invention will not be apparent except to aperson of unusual eyesight and Jud ement.

The invention maybe carried 'outin other specific ways than those hereinset forth Without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics. of the invention, and the present embodiments. are, therefore,to be considered "in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive,and all changes coming within thej'meaning andjequivalency range of the,appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim;

1. As a new article of manufacture, a "sheetmetalpliate offthe characterreferred to',:a1hdhav- "ing a plurality, of embossm'ents projecting fromone of its faces and which emb'ossmentsj are spaced from "each otherfina circumferential direaction by a plurality of gaps; theface ofthepl'a'te opposite that from which the said emboss merits 'pr'oj ec'tjhaving indentations substantially corresponding to "the saidembo'ssments; and the length of a given one of the said gaps between thesaid ,embossments tin a circumferential-direction differing "fromanother of the "said, gaps to minimizefthe likelihood of a plurality ofsuch plates tightly nesting 'togeth'er during a finishing operation. 1

As anew article of manufacturea concaveconvex "sheet-metal plate of thecharacter referred to, and having a plurality of-embossmen'tsprojecting. from its convex face and whichem bossments are *spaced fromeach other in a circumferential. direction by aplurality-'oi gapsy theconcave "face of the plate having "indentations substantiallycorresponding to the said-embo's'smerits; and the leng'thof thegaps'betw'een the said embossments in'a circumferential directiondiffering from another of the said gaps to minimize the likelihood of aplurality of such plates tightly nesting together during a finishingoperation.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a sheetmetal plate of the characterreferred to, and having a plurality of embossments projecting from oneof its faces and which embossments are spaced from each other in acircumferential direction by a plurality of gaps; the face of the plateopposite that from which the said embossments project havingindentations substantially corresponding to the said embossments; andthe length of the said embossments in a circumferential directiondiffering from another of the said embossments to minimize thelikelihood of a plurality of such plates tightly nesting together duringa finishing operation.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a concaveconvex sheet-metal plate ofthe character referred to, and having a plurality of embossmentsprojecting from its convex face and which embossments are spaced fromeach other in a circumferential direction by a plurality of gaps; theconcave face of the plate having indentations substantiallycorresponding to the said embossments; and the length of the saidembossments in a circumferential direction differing from another of thesaid embossments to minimize the likelihood of a plurality of suchplates tightly nesting together during a finishing operation.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a sheetmetal plate of the characterreferred to, and having on one of its faces an annular series ofantinesting features comprising a set of embossed portions and a set ofgap portions respectively intervening in a circumferential directionbetween the said embossed portions; the opposite face of the said platefrom the said embossed portions having indentations substantiallycorresponding to the said embossed portions; the length in acircumferential direction of a given one of the portions of one setthereof differing from another of the same set to minimize thelikelihood of a plurality of such plates tightly nesting together duringa finishing operation.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a concaveconvex sheet-metal plate ofthe character referred to, and having an annular series of antinestingfeatures comprising a set of embossed portions projecting from theconvex face and a set of gapped portions respectively intervening in acircumferential direction between the said embossed portions; theconcave face of the said plate having indentations substantiallycorresponding to the said embossed portions; the length in acircumferential direction of a given one of the portions of one setthereof differing from another of the same set to minimize thelikelihood of a plurality of such plates tightly nesting together duringa finishing operation.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a sheetmetal plate of the characterreferred to, and having on one of its faces an annular series ofantinesting features comprising a set of embossed portions in the formof arcuate ribs and a set of gap portions respectively intervening in acircumferential direction between the said embossed portions; the otherface of the said plate from the said embossed portions havingindentations substantially corresponding to the said embossed arcuateribs; the respective lengths in a circumferential direction of a givenone of the portions of one set thereof differing from another of thesame set to minimize the likelihood of a plurality of such platestightly nesting together during a finishing operation.

JAMES E. MARSHALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,125,229 Webster Jan. 19, 19151,790,423 Hooks l- Jan. 27, 1931 2,034,948 Knapp Mar. 24, 1936 2,136,137Kellogg Nov. 8, 1938 2,145,083 Dynes Jan. 24, 1939

